Fidesz to boycott special session of parliament

The Speaker of Hungary’s National Assembly László Kövér (Fidesz) must schedule a special parliamentary session after a motion for the session received sufficient signatures from MPs Thursday, reports 444.hu. According to a Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) representative, 40 MPs signed the initiative to hold the special session, namely 28 Socialists, five members of Politics Can Be Different (LMP) and seven independent MPs.

Kövér must convene the assembly between 21-29 August.

The session was proposed by MSZP in mid-July in order to amend Hungary’s higher education law following an announcement by the European Commission that it would take the next step in an ongoing infringement proceeding against the country over the law known as Lex CEU. MSZP argued that if Lex CEU is not brought into compliance with EU law in a timely manner, the case will be forwarded to the European Court of Justice, which could result in heavy fines for the country.

LMP later jumped on the initiative, saying the party supported the withdrawal of Lex CEU and also sought parliamentary discussion of the eviction of victims of Hungary’s foreign currency mortgage crisis.

The ruling Fidesz party declared last week that it will not participate in the special session, arguing that the Open Society Foundation’s George Soros is behind the call for the session, and writing, “George Soros wants to convene [the National Assembly] using his local people” in order to “place the Soros university above the law.”